Hiking at Higher Altitudes: Tips and Struggles

When I say this hike was hard I mean it was HARD! (Save this post for hiking at higher altitudes and share it with your hiking pal!) Prior to this hike I hadn’t been taking care of myself nearly as well as I normally do and thought I would be fine to make it to the end without struggling to much but NOPE! I was dragging behind @cuyler_thecreator and @crosbygracetravels by yards! And I was struggling to get that ever so precious oxygen. So I figured I would share some tips for adjusting/hiking at higher elevations! Here are a few things I always tell people when they want to hike higher altitudes! 💦 Hydration is key! Less oxygen means you’re body is working harder to keep things flowing which means it needs more water. 🍻 We all love a good summit beer but do your best to avoid alcohol as you adjust to new altitudes prior to hiking as this will decrease your oxygen levels too! 🥪 Higher altitudes can curb hunger so be sure to pack food that you love so you can pack in some good calories along the way. And don’t be afraid of the carbs! That’s fuel for your body! 🧴Bring. That. Sunscreen. I am absolutely guilty of forgetting to reapply sunscreen but the sunburns from higher altitude really are extra awful! 💊 Bring or preemptively take some Ibuprofen to combat the symptoms of altitude sickness. Nothing is worse then trying to enjoy nature and having a next level headache! ❤️ Keep that heart in shape! Working out at sea level isn’t going to make hiking 14k ft an easy task but having some type of cardio health is going to keep your body from going into complete shock at working hard when there is less oxygen around. Please research how to adjust to the altitude at which you are traveling to! Colorado’s 14ers are a wildly different experience compared to Peru’s 20k! What is the highest altitude you have ever hiked to? 📸 @sonyalpha A7II with @tamronusa 28-200mm edited using my Freedom Lightroom desktop preset! Link in my bio to snag your own!